Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Winmalee Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Winmalee

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,418 in Melbourne versus $2,275 in Winmalee.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,660 in Melbourne versus $3,336 in Winmalee.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,902 in Melbourne versus $4,397 in Winmalee.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 6% more expensive than Winmalee, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 80% above, Winmalee 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.16 A$27.07

$16.02 A$22.63

19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 A$112

$87.3 A$123

-9.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 A$14.19

$10.04 A$14.19

0.10%

Cappuccino

$3.56 A$5.03

$3.45 A$4.88

3.19%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 A$3.66

$2.65 A$3.75

-2.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 A$3.37

$2.21 A$3.13

8.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.54 A$10.65

$6.33 A$8.94

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 A$10.16

$7.50 A$10.60

-4.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 A$2.15

$1.42 A$2.01

7.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 A$3.58

$2.65 A$3.75

-4.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 A$3.19

$1.76 A$2.48

28.41%

Eggs

$4.64 A$6.56

$4.11 A$5.81

12.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 A$12.77

$9.87 A$13.94

-8.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.44

$9.15 A$12.92

3.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 A$20.82

$14.64 A$20.69

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.72

$3.32 A$4.69

0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.01

$2.93 A$4.13

-3.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.09

$3.01 A$4.26

-3.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.59

$4.69 A$6.62

-15.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.91

$2.26 A$3.20

22.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 A$3.32

$2.20 A$3.11

6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 A$2.99

$2.48 A$3.51

-14.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 A$2.24

$1.34 A$1.90

17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$32.41 A$45.79

$31.17 A$44.03

3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 A$19.66

$14.57 A$20.58

-4.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.49 A$6.34

$5.26 A$7.43

-14.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.36

$5.94 A$8.40

-12.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 A$5.19

$2.57 A$3.64

42.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 A$170

$65.5 A$92.6

83.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 A$4.97

$3.96 A$5.59

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.96

$1.79 A$2.52

-22.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.24 A$38.49

$40.01 A$56.5

-31.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.67

$1.19 A$1.69

-0.84%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.2K A$41.2K

$28.8K A$40.8K

1.14%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.5K A$33.2K

$22.6K A$31.9K

3.99%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$152 A$215

$221 A$312

-31.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$20.95 A$29.60

$30.27 A$42.77

-30.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 A$72.5

$52.1 A$73.6

-1.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.31 A$68.3

$48.05 A$67.9

0.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.93 A$22.51

$15.65 A$22.12

1.79%

Cinema Ticket

$15.99 A$22.60

$13.47 A$19.03

18.71%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,729 A$2,443

$1,718 A$2,427

0.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.5K A$27.5K

$13.5K A$19.0K

44.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 A$95.6

$70.8 A$100

-4.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 A$74.5

$56.1 A$79.2

-5.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$147

$98.7 A$139

5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$146

$113 A$160

-8.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 A$2,162

$1,267 A$1,790

20.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 A$1,738

$1,049 A$1,482

17.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,959 A$4,181

$2,029 A$2,867

45.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 A$2,795

$1,703 A$2,406

16.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,928 A$9,789

$6,032 A$8,523

14.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,056 A$8,556

$5,118 A$7,232

18.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,479 A$6,329

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.29

-1.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Melbourne: June 9, 2026

Last update for Winmalee: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,530 in Melbourne and $1,267 in Winmalee. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Melbourne vs $87.0 in Winmalee for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $358 per month, with Melbourne cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Melbourne vs Winmalee: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Melbourne and Winmalee differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,418 vs $2,275 including rent). Winmalee is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,627 in Melbourne and $3,413 in Winmalee to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,530 in Melbourne versus $1,267 in Winmalee. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,729 in Melbourne versus $1,718 in Winmalee. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Melbourne pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,275 in Winmalee versus $2,418 in Melbourne, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Winmalee but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Winmalee the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Melbourne and Winmalee are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Winmalee gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.